Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his time in service.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for a VA audiologic examination to reassess the severity of the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete service records and the need for a statement of the case (SOC) on issues related to bilateral knee injury and bilateral thigh condition. The claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and knee injuries/thigh conditions will be returned to the Board after issuance of the SOC.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bronchial asthma was incurred in active service, but his claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied. His claim for an increased rating for hypertension is also denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss warrants a 40 percent evaluation, which is less than the requested increased rating of 50 percent. The decision found that the current evidence does not support an increase in the disability rating.

The veteran does not have a currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes, and therefore service connection is denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran had bilateral hearing loss as a result of noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants the claim for accrued benefits.

The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional audiometric testing.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for PTSD and a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss, as well as his requests for earlier effective dates for service connection. The veteran's claims were not supported by sufficient evidence to warrant these benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is incurred in active service due to combat noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of acoustic trauma during service or a nexus between any current disabilities and service. As such, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss disability in either ear for VA compensation purposes and his left ear hearing loss is not related to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently manifested by no more than level V hearing impairment in the right ear and level IV hearing impairment in the left ear, warranting a 10 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable disability rating, as his current audiometric test results do not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation.

The Board has found that the veteran's tinnitus is due to service exposure to acoustic trauma, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issue of an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is being remanded.

The Board has found that the veteran's tinnitus is likely related to military noise exposure and granted service connection for this condition. The case of bilateral hearing loss remains pending, with a need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his active military service. The claim for asbestos exposure is being remanded as there may be additional VA records that need to be obtained.

The veteran's hearing loss is not attributable to his active military service, as it was not manifested within one year of his separation from service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and hypertension as secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disability. The Board found that there was no nexus between the current disabilities and service, with the exception of a possible link between the veteran's PTSD and his hypertension.